Express helps snare Scots jihadi wannabe

A WOULD-BE Scots jihadi who attempted to join IS is behind bars after being exposed by the Scottish Sunday Express.

Hafes held under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act[FACEBOOK]

Abdul Hafes, 36, posted a torrent of sickening online threats on Twitter, saying that he “hates Shia and Kurds” and that they should die.

He said he wanted to join Isis, since renamed Islamic State, and asked for information to be emailed to him, engaging with a number of sinister figures in the Middle East.

Thankfully, before Hafes could leave the country to join the estimated 400 British jihadis fighting in Iraq and Syria, his tweets were spotted by this newspaper on June 21.

We immediately contacted the police regarding the abusive messages, and reported the story on our front page the following day, as the National Counter Terrorism Unit swung into action.

Officers arranged a search warrant for the married father of three’s home, in Cambuslang, near Glasgow, and seized various items including phones, laptops and iPads.

Hafes was arrested and held under the Offensive Behaviour at Football and Threatening Communications Act, which covers online threats and abuse.

After spending almost two months in custody, he appeared at Glasgow Sheriff Court on Monday where he pleaded guilty to intending to stir up hatred on religious grounds, making racist remarks and inquiring about joining Isis.

The court was told that the first tweet spotted was “join us in Iraq”.

He also wrote: “I f****** hate

Shia and Kurds you people should die like the jews by hands of Hitler he done a s*** job.”

Abdul Hafes, 36, posted a torrent of sickening online threats on Twitter, saying that he “hates Shia and Kurds” and that they should die

Unemployed former call centre worker Hafes – who claims he was extremely intoxicated at the time – also wrote: “I would love to join Isis in Iraq can this be possible email my personal email.”

While being interviewed at Cathcart police station, Hafes initially made no comment about the hate-filled rants on Twitter.

However, he eventually admitted he was responsible but blamed it on his drunken state and said he couldn't remember posting the tweets.

Sheriff John Beckett QC deferred sentence on Hafes for reports and he was remanded in custody.

The tweets were sent days after a video emerged showing three British fighters, including two brothers from Cardiff, and Abdul Raqib Amin from Aberdeen, who has since been killed.

Despite his claim that he was drunk at the time, the first tweet about joining Isis was sent on

June 16 – followed by a stream of dozens of abusive messages over a 36-hour period on June 20 and 21.

And he was still at it nine days later on June 30, posting: “God bless Isis fighters in Iraq and Syria f*** usa and Europe dirty rotten devil worshipping b******s.”

Other hate-filled messages sent by Hafes included:

• “You are all f***ing dead heads going to get cut off slowly we will take over all of Iraq.” • “Brothers il join if I get paid for joining il drop my whole life and go and fight.”• “I want to join too… I’m from Bangladesh raised in Glasgow and fed up with UK how can I join?”